Rearranged
by Ren Hardy
Summary: Reviewed the original and found it made no sense now, so I'm redoing it. It's the same, just cut out the first 2 chapters. It's based on my own experiences, and after all...we all love high school! NaruxGaa, ShinoxOC, and still working on other pairings.
1. Mornings suck

The girl is running frantically through her house, pissed the alarm hadn't gone off. Her name is Salina Okana, and she's just barely turned fourteen. Today is her first day at Konoha High School, the only high school in her new hometown, and it's not off to a very good start.

"Shit, Kade, where's my bag, I'm going to miss the bus! Kade?!" She stuck her head out the door, to find the boy staring at the clouds. "Oh, for god's sake...Kade Okana, come back to earth please!"

"Huh...? Oh, check the stove...saw it there last." He turned his eyes back to the sky, studying it intently. "Going to rain later...perfect." A grim smile crossed his lips, making the girl wonder.

'_Stove? Oh vey...'_

Sometimes she worried for him. The girl shook her head and skidded into the kitchen, jerking the stove open. "Well then...why am I not surprised?" She slung the canvas bag across her shoulder, its drawing splattered surfacing bouncing merrily off her back as she jumped out the window, tumbling to a stop next to her brother. "Alright then, see you after school!!" Her brother was a dropout, working instead at a full-time job to support them both. She'd yet to figure out exactly what he did, knowing only that it paid well.

He latched a hand to the strap of her bag. "Hold on just a second little one. I'll take you to the bus." The boy began walking, hand still caught on her bookbag.

"Now just wait a minute! You _promised_ I could take myself to school once we moved. Last year was totally different, everyone knew you back home." The girl planted her hands on her slender hips, deep blue eyes narrowing at her brother's back in a death glare.

He sighed heavily and turned back to her, his hellfire eyes drowned with sorrow. Only then did it strike her that her brother looked a man of fifty, rather than the sixteen-year old boy he was. "Salina, you don't exactly understand the position I'm in right now, nor do you have the real reason we moved." He bent to her eye level, slipping a small, cool object into her palm and closing her fingers over it. "Go catch your bus, I'll meet you after classes are over. Remember that I love you little one." He stood, kissing her forehead, and ran off, disappearing down an alley.

She turned and peeled in the other direction, head swimming, and skidded to the corner just as the bus pulled up. _'Hell's transportation, and I've got a first class ticket.' _The girl pulled her ponytail over her shoulder, twirling it nervously, and took a giant breath, vaulting herself over the bus stairs, headed for the back. She made no eye contact, the hurried whispers already reaching her ultra-sensitive ears, and dropped in the very back, shifting sideways, legs pulled onto the seat, and let out the breath she'd been holding since she'd vaulted on. She then remembered the item in her hand and unfolded her fingers.

_'Kade's ring? How odd...he knows I've always liked it, but normally he wouldn't even have dreamt of giving it to me...'_

She slipped it to her finger, admiring how the light caught the cat's-eye jewel, and looked over the top of the seats, observing what she assumed to be her classmates for the next four years.

Directly in front of her sat two boys, a spiky blonde and blackish-blue haired kid, who's head resembled what she classified as a duck's ass. In front of them was a platinum blonde, turned and leaning down to the boys, arguing with what Rain could've sworn was her seat, until a head of pink bobbed up, belonging to a girl with shamrock eyes, who was responding to the blonde's taunting. "Shut it, Ino-pig! Isn't it obvious you're bothering Sasuke-kun?"

"You wish, Billboard-head! You're just jealous because he likes me better."

By now the blonde boy had turned away and was eyeing the half-finished drawing on Salina's bookbag. She blushed lightly and quietly covered it with her hand. She'd quickly lost interest in the scene in front of her and had focused on the blonde, sketching him as he stared out the opposite window.

He grinned, turning his oceanic eyes on her. "You're pretty good. I'm Naruto, by the way, and this is-"

She held up her hand. "I'm Salina, and please, don't bother with introductions, I figured it out. Their squabbling could wake the dead." She turned her head towards the seat across from her to see one of the bus's stranger occupants studying her quietly, and whipped back to face Naruto, hair obscuring her face. "Naruto, who's he?" She began whispering quietly to the blonde, watching the other from the corner of her eye. "Does he give all new students that look, or am I specially privileged?"

The blonde glanced over, giving a small wave as the boy turned to watch out the window. "That's just Shino...he's a lot quieter than the rest of us. And he watches everyone like that, you're just freaked cuz you're new here. He's pretty cool once you get past the bug fetish."

"Bug fetish?" She turned her head slightly, shifting her hair to get a better look at him. Trenchcoat with a high collar, round dark glasses, and dark hair that looked somewhat electrocuted. Her angle didn't give a clear view of his eyes.

"Yea, he's had this things for bugs for as long as everyone can remember. Not that bad sometimes, unless of course he hates you thoroughly...not a pretty picture. I'm sure you'll be fine though, Salina. Come on, we're here." He gave her a reassuring smile and stood as the bus jerked to a stop in front of a large building.

She hooked her bag over her shoulder, carefully concealing the sketch of her new friend as he looked on. She smiled softly. "I plan on finishing it later. Let's go." She gave him a little shove off the bus and they turned to the front doors. The girl froze and gave a low, unearthly moan at the sheer size of the place, folding and unfolding the scrap of paper containing her schedule. "I'm doomed..."

"Welcome to Konoha High!" The blonde laughed quietly, and tugged her to the doors, both failing to notice the ever silent Shino trailing behind.

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**And voila!! First chapter installed and up, and from here I should be making more sense than what I had before. Make me happy, read the story. Make me happier, send reviews. Make me happiest...well, I don't have that yet.**


	2. Laps first, paint later!

Why the top floor?! Ok, so the school was only three floors, but still, it was the same _every year._ Always a top floor locker! She crammed her bag inside, spun the lock, and turned to Naruto with a gloomy face, only to notice his enthusiastic bouncing. "What're you so happy about?"

"It's the first day of school!! Why wouldn't I be in a good mood? I really kinda like it here."

She groaned, banging her head on the locker door. "Yea, _you_ actually know where you're going!" She glanced moodily at her schedule.

First Period: P.E.

Instructor: Gai-sensei

"Ok, point me to the gym, I'll meet you here after class."

The boy turned her to a set of stairs and ran off, waving over his shoulder. "Good luck Salina. You'll need it!!"

She looked over the railing, judging the width between each staircase. Smiling slightly, she swung her legs across, balancing for a moment, and dropped between the railings, hitting the ground floor and rolling to a stop outside the gym. She stood, walking in, and noted a strange man in the middle of the gym floor. The girl wandered over, calmly observing the milling students, recognizing a few from the bus that morning.

There was Sasuke, whom she lovingly referred to as duck-ass, the pink-haired girl whose name escaped her, hanging on him exactly like, if not worse than, that morning, and....she stopped midstride to see none other than Shino. Was it merely coincidence he was there, or could he really be following her?

'_Quit being so paranoid, Salina, you hardly know his name!'_

The raven-head shook her head and resumed her mission of speaking with the strange man. She stood and observed him as he lectured another student, catching a few random words about youth. Clad in a green spandex jumpsuit, orange legwarmers, with a hideous bowl-cut and eyebrows you could trim with a lawnmower, he shooed the student off and turned to her with a huge grin. "Welcome, my youthful child! What can I do for you?"

She blinked, slightly unnerved. "Um....I'm looking for..." She glanced at her schedule. "Gai-sensei's class. Could you te-"

"So, you're the new girl they told me about! Welcome to my class!! What might your name be, youthful one?"

Youthful one? Was this guy serious?! Oh well, only another two years to go. She cleared her throat, hopefully erasing the disgusted look off her face. "Salina Okana, sensei."

"Ah...so that's you. Well then, would you care to introduce yourself to the rest of us? Class, assemble!!" The others wandered over, whispers buzzing through the crowd, a couple daring students staring outright at the girl. Gai gestured at her, stepping back, that ridiculous grin still in place. "Class, meet our new student, Miss..."

"Okana. Salina Okana." She gave a small wave, twirling her ponytail nervously, and nearly screamed when she was lifted off her feet onto the shoulders of a miniature version of her sensei.

"Welcome to Gai-sensei's class!! You won't find a better sensei in the entire school. I'm Rock Lee." He grinned, an odd resemblance of Gai, with the girl still on his shoulders, giving no impression of putting her down.

"Um...hi, Lee. Would you mind putting me down _before_ I fall?" She wobbled, flailing her arms in an attempt to stay upright. "Please?!" He put her on the ground, and not a moment too soon.

There was a sharp tweet of a whistle. "Six laps! One minute, go!" There came a multitude of groans as they started, some attempting running, few jogging, most walking, Lee and Salina in a full-blown sprint. She pulled in a lap ahead, looking as though she'd walked five feet, instead of six laps in 45 seconds.

And if there'd been whispers before, there was flat-out yelling now, most complaining of another just like Lee, he in turn sobbing of his unbeaten record broken in one shot, and Gai-sensei the loudest of them all, congratulating the girl.

She dropped her gaze to the floor and stood there uncertainly, scuffing her feet in embarrassment. "I used to run a lot..."

It certainly wasn't her fault she'd had to run the two miles to her old school almost every day of her life, constantly riding the line of late and on-time. The bell rang and she bolted for the door, desperately trying to avoid the glares of the other students, or more specifically, the watchful eyes of one. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling Shino gave her.... he reminded her of someone she knew, someone she couldn't quite place. He was quiet, and she had no knowledge about him....yet she felt she knew him, knew him on a level that ran deep, soul-deep even.

She skidded to a stop in front of her locker, and twirled it open, snatching her bag, on the lookout for her blonde pal. When he didn't appear, she assumed he'd blown her for someone else and started along the halls, noting she had perhaps a minute and a half to find her next class.

"Salina, isn't it?" The distinctly male voice touched her ears, and she spun to the side, slamming into a row of lockers, cursing quietly. Once again.....Shino.

She gave him a light glare, more curious than angry, and resumed walking, arms folded across her chest. "Yea, can I help you? I'm going to be late for....oh shit, where am I going?" She glanced at the schedule she'd transferred to her arm, smiling slightly.

Second Period: Art

Instructor: Anko-sensei

"Art, huh? No worries there I guess." She glanced at the room numbers, stopping where the hall branched two ways. "Crud..." There was a light touch at her arm, guiding her left.

"Maybe I can help. Seems I'm in your class." Shino gave her a shy smile, pulling her in a room just as the bell rang,

"Must we start this the first day of school, Aburame? And you are...?" The woman turned to them, her short purple hair pulled back into a spiky ponytail, long tan coat open over her fishnet shirt.

Salina sighed, flipping her bangs from her eyes. "Salina Okana...I'm new here." She received a grin, and the woman gestured them toward a table in the back. "You two will have to share the table in the back. Get moving."

They jogged to the back, Salina dropping her bag on the table. She pulled a pen from her pocket and began a slow but sure sketch of their paint-splattered sensei, tuning out the lecture, distancing herself from the real world of their classroom, lost in the fibers of the canvas. It wasn't until she heard something about partnering up that she snapped back.

'_Always did hate partner assignments...wonder who got me. Haha, stuck with the psychopathic new kid._'

She focused back on the woman at the front of the room, hearing her name called. "Could you repeat that please, Anko-sensei?"

"I said, the one you're sitting with is your partner. Which means Aburame, just because she's new, you're not allowed to do all the work. You won't be able to on this however." She grinned. "By the end of the week, I want four completed profiles of your partners. Sketched, painted, I don't care how you do it, just four profiles! You can start now, or you can just get to know them. They'll be your partners on every project requiring it. Have fun!! "

The girl sat there, stunned speechless. "W-wha...?"


	3. Pencils to pineapples

The girl sat there, stunned speechless. "W-wha...?" She turned to Shino with a scowl, becoming more hot-tempered every second she saw his grin. "Alright then, I'll start." She opened her bag, withdrawing a black notebook and an assortment of pencils. The girl lazily flipped the pages, watching the drawings of her brother in various positions throughout the summer go by, until a hand stopped the corner of one. She looked up, blue orbs locking on Shino's glasses as a light blush crept across her cheeks.

"You're really good...who is this?" He slipped the book from her fingers, thumbing carefully through the pages.

She blinked a few times, wondering why it didn't bother her to let him see them. Normally anyone but Kade would've had their hands bitten off, she was that protective of her book. "It's Kade, my brother. They're all from during the move..." She pointed to a smaller one. "That's my favorite. We'd finished packing boxes for the day, and he was up in the tree watching the sunset, and fell asleep. His face was so peaceful, and I couldn't resist. Most days it's like he has a cactus up his ass I swear." She smiled softly and looked off to the side, thoughts wandering.

"He doesn't look that much older than you....why haven't I seen him around today?" He glanced at her with a little smile, offering the book to her. She took it carefully, gnawing at her bottom lip and noticeably avoiding his gaze. "Salina?"

She looked up, a strange light in her eyes. "He's a dropout. Our parents died about two years back, so now he works full-time to support the both of us. I'm still not entirely sure what he does." The girl smiled, quickly covering the pain of old wounds in her eyes. "We're perfectly fine on our own, it actually seems to suit us better."

The boy looked a little surprised, and watched her for another minute or so. "Well, suppose we should get started. You still wanna draw first?" He smiled, sliding a pencil and her notebook over, flipping it to a clean page. She smirked and picked it up, eyes lingering around his neck.

"You're gonna need to get rid of that hideous coat though. I can't see your neck." She looked up from the beginning of his face and burst out laughing at his blush. "Not for this one, this is just an example of your day-to-day appearance." She went back to the sketch. Within seconds she was completely absorbed, not even the bell phasing her. Then there was the incessant tapping on her shoulder, and some mumbling near her ear.

'_No peace whatsoever.....I hate drawing in classrooms!'_

She glanced up and sighed. "Shino, why'd you get up? I was almost do--hey...where is everyone?" The girl looked around, blue eyes confused.

He grinned and put her bag over her neck. "On their way to their next class. The bell rang like a minute ago. You'll be late if you don't get going." He wandered out of the room, laughing quietly to himself.

"Crud....history class here I come." She adjusted the bag and sprinted out the door, crashing into another student and losing the contents of her bag. "Shit!!"

"Oh jeez, what a drag. Sorry about that, I'll help pick it up." The boy was fairly tall, taller than her at least, and he had an extremely bored look on his face, as though anything would be better than being here.

"It's fine, really, I've got most of it." She dumped a few books in, glancing around. "Where's...?"

The boy held up her sketchbook. "Yours I presume." He slipped it in her bag and stood, pulling her to her feet. "You look a little lost, where you heading?"

"Oh, I'm....headed for...." She glanced at her arm. "Oh revolting, history class."

Third period: History

Instructor: Itachi-sensei

"Same here, it's down a floor, and if we go now, we'll make the bell." He turned down the hall, obviously not going to wait for her. His hands slid into his pockets and he gave a little sigh. "Oh, by the way, name's Shikamaru. What's yours?"

"Huh? Oh, it's Salina." She scrambled after him, snickering quietly at how his head resembled a pineapple from behind. It's amazing what you can notice being the new kid in school. No one watches you, you watch anyone and everyone.


	4. Coffee notes and revelations

"So, where're you from then?" The boy turned to look at her over his shoulder, same bored expression still in place. She seemed slightly dazed, a little reluctant to answer.

"Nowhere in particular...just a couple towns over. Really small town, everyone knows everyone, that kind of place...but I think I prefer being here." She smiled at him, blue eyes sparkling. Once you got past that lousy expression, he seemed like a really nice guy. Maybe this town would turn out better than she thought.

"Why would you say that? Konoha really isn't all too exciting if you ask me."

"Well, I wasn't exactly accepted back home. Sure everybody knew who I was, but they all expected me to be like my brother. Drop-out, mysterious job...they even suspected him of killing our parents! Which of course made me the accomplice." She scoffed quietly and glanced around. "Where are we going exactly?"

He blinked a few times from surprise. The mood swings were quite unexpected...what was he getting himself into? Befriending the physcopathic new girl was not exactly high on his list of things to do. "It's this one right here actually."

"Well then why are we standing outside?!" She grinned, pushing him in the room and sending him sprawling. There were slight giggles from students as she stepped calmly over him and looked around the room. No familiar faces, though she really didn't know that many students yet. She sighed slightly and bent down to help her pineapple-haired friend stand.

"Sorry about that, wasn't planning to knock you over." She leaned a little closer so only the boy could hear her. "Does it matter where I sit, cuz having everyone stare at me is a little disquieting."

"Actually, Miss Okana," She yelped at the new voice and spun to face the door. "In the back next to Mister Uzumaki should do just fine." The speaker was a man, presumably her teacher. He was fairly tall, brown hair pulled into a tail at the nape of his neck, cool black eyes intent on her face. "Itachi Uchiha, your history teacher for the year. Mister Nara, I presume you know where you're to be sitting?"

"Same dull spot as every year, first desk, first row." He plunked in the seat, slouching until only his face was visible.

"Salina! How's your day been so far? Gai-sensei driven ya mad yet?" She turned, grinning ear-to-ear at the sight of her blonde friend, and slid into the desk beside him.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect to see you in here, and no, I actually find Gai-sensei rather amusing. But I don't think he'll let me live down my little stunt in class today."

The blonde giggled, and nodded to the front of the room. "Well, if he hasn't, then Itachi-sensei just might."

"What's that supposed to mean? It's history class, what's so surprising about that?" The boy merely grinned and turned to the lesson.

"Well, let's see here. Today's history topic is....coffee? Oh dear, that can't be right. No, no, seems it is. Right then! Get as much of the notes as you can..." There was paper shuffling around the room as all moved in sync, leaving a certain blue-eyed girl to glance at her partner and toss him a wad of paper.

_Coffee? This is more culinary than history if you ask me!_ (_giggle)_

**What can I say? That's Itachi-sensei for ya, always the unexpected with him.**

_But seriously...coffee?! Not that I don't like coffee, but I mean really._

**Well, they never said it would be world history, did they? (laugh)**

_No, I guess they didn't...and yea, I think he's the one who'll drive me mad. (sigh)_

**If I haven't gone completely mad, odds are you won't either, Salina. No worries! (grin)**

"Mister Uzumaki, if you would kindly repeat what I just said?" Their sensei stood staring at them with a cool glare. On anyone else, it would've been somewhat amusing. On Itachi-sensei, it was flat out scary.

"Um...uh...cheese and crackers?" The blonde grinned nervously.

"As suspected. If you would please refrain from passing notes across the room, perhaps you might pass, yes? I'll see you all tomorrow."

They scrambled from their seats and dashed out the door, blonde and raven heads shaking with suppressed laughter. Salina turned to her blonde friend, face flushed. He was really very sweet, and a little clumsy, but what was there to not like about him?

"Naruto, why don't I ever see you with anyone else? You're funny, and really nice. You should have loads of friends here."

"I don't like to talk about it." He looked over at her and smiled, but it never reached his eyes. "What's your next class?"

She frowned ever so slightly, but shook it off before he saw. "Oh...good question. I'm going to....photography. The one thing I'm actually looking forward to today!" She showed him the schedule on her arm.

Fourth period: Photography

Instructor: Jiraiya

"Uh-oh, pervy sage is your teacher? Good luck with that! Just...tune some of it out. He knows how to take good pictures, but he's a total perv." The blonde grinned and turned down another hall. "I'll meet you there after class, see which of you fared better. Don't flip out too much, alright?" He waved and sprinted down the hall.

'_Oh lucky me...hopefully I'll find someone somewhat interesting in there.'_

She smiled wryly to herself and took off, sliding in the door just as the bell sounded.

'_I'm cutting it too close...really could use a map of this place. Now, where shall we be safe from curious eyes?'_

The room consisted of six tables, four seats at each. There were nine other students in the room, eight occupying the first two tables. At the back was a lone figure, a boy. Messy red hair, dark circles around pale blue-green eyes. The others acted as though he wasn't there, and though he looked like he couldn't care, she saw he didn't like it. The feeling of being unwanted, being ignored, as though you were the lowest thing on the face of the earth. She knew the feeling, how it hurt, clawed a perfect hole in your chest. The girl squared her shoulders and strode to the back, ignoring the other students glares, and stopped beside the boy.

"Mind if I sit with you?" The boy shook his head and glanced away as she slid in beside him.

"They're not going to like it you know. Nobody here talks to me, and anyone who does either gives up or disappears into nothing, exactly like me." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, judging her response. She just gave him a knowing smile.

"I'm not too worried about that. People give you the feeling that nobody wants you around, I can see it; I grew up with it. 'Sides, I'm new, they'll think I don't know any better." The girl shrugged nonchalantly and put up a lopsided grin. "I'm Salina, by the way. Nice to meet you."

He gave a faint smile. "Gaara, nice to meet you too. Oh, you know Naruto-kun?" The boy tilted her bag to look at her sketch from the bus.

"Yea, he rides my bus. First person here to talk to me. Why do you ask?" Her eyes darkened in confusion at the light blush creeping across his face.

"Well...I assume you know not a lot of people talk to Naruto." She nodded and leaned in slightly as he paused. "That's mostly because of me. You see, Naruto-kun..." He took a deep breath. "Naruto-kun is my boyfriend."


	5. Crash and run

"Boy…friend?" The girl tipped her head in contemplation, aimlessly twirling her hair. "Well, that certainly explains things. You're both _very_ lucky though." She grinned.

"Thank you, Salina. Most days we're fine, but Naruto-kun has a kind heart, and sometimes…everything is a little much." The boy gave her a shy smile, grateful for the girl's new friendship.

"Always happy to he-AHH! Christ, who are _you_?" She picked herself up off the ground, righting her seat and plunking back down.

_'What a strange man…'_

He was staring intently at the two, with what one was to assume was a thoughtful look. "Well, I should be getting some interesting photos out of this group."

"E-excuse me?"

The man seemed to come out of a small trance. "Right! I'm your teacher. Cameras and first assignment are given tomorrow. Bring a camera if you have one." He turned and strode out of the room, the bell clanging a few seconds later. The girl shook her head and began absentmindedly shoving things into her bag.

"Uh…Salina? Salina!"

"Wha? Why are you-stop poking me! That tickles!"

"Salina, you tried to put a jar of paint in your bag." He set the jar on a table and took the girl's hand, dragging her out the door and tossing her at the waiting pair. "Naruto-kun! You actually brought someone today." He took the other boy's hand and turned back. "I told her about us, Hello, Shino. Nice catch…"

Being thrown at people wasn't a common occurrence for the girl. So when she was suddenly tossed, she aimed for the nearest familiar face. The blonde moved tactfully to the side, sending the girl sprawling on top of an already too familiar figure instead.

"Shino…oh jeez, I'm sorry. Are you alright? Did you hit your head?"

"I'm fine…and not that I mind, Salina, but will you get off me please?" He laughed at the color creeping up her face and stood, pulling the girl up after.

"You're all dirty…" She swiped her hand across his coat a few times, not bothering to take the other one from his. "I'm normally not that off balance…but moving on!" She turned to the other two, unconsciously tightening her hand. "What's everyone doing later? I'd love if my brother could meet you…" She turned her eyes down, kicking nervously at the ground. The three exchanged a glance, watching the strange new girl that had entered their lives.

"Well…I know _I'm_ not busy."

"And we don't have anything to do either."

She smiled at the three, amazed with the wonderful new start she was getting in her life. A kiss on the cheek for fox and raccoon, and nudging a collar away to reach the third.

_'This is nice…holding hands…reminds me of bodies, which sounds like science stuff…'_

"SCIENCE! Crap, I'm gonna be late! Sorry guys, I'll see you later." She ran off in a panic, hunting a staircase.

"…she said science, didn't she?"

"Uh-huh…we better pray she's in the good class."

"It takes a long time to get used to the _other_ one…"


	6. Peeps before literature

"This just screams _Weird Science _to me…" She sighed and ran a hand through her already disheveled hair, trying to restore some semblance of order to herself. Salina stepped into the room and glanced around, looking for a seat and simultaneously scrutinizing her classmates. Curious blue eyes landed on a girl with cropped purple hair, sitting off by herself. She strode over and smiled softly at the timid girl. "Hi, I'm Salina, I'm new here. Is it alright if I sit with you?" The girl gave her a quick nod.

'_So here we sit, bidding our time and waiting to leave. What a depressing hellhole I've managed to find…'_

This room just oozed gloom and doom from it's very being. She really didn't want to spend the next hour here, though she'd managed to find a nice enough girl to sit by. When Salina turned and asked her name, she gave her a startled glance before lowering her eyes. "I'm H-hinata…it's n-nice to meet you."

"So, what kind of science do they teach us anyway? Chemicals are fun…" She grinned at her companion, pleased when she gave a timid smile of her own in return. Despite her shyness, she seemed to be a really sweet person.

"Actually, I'm not sure what we're supposed to be starting today. But I think he said it was-" She was interrupted by a loud curse, and frustrated peeping noises. A ruffled looking man appeared in the doorway, two large cages balanced precariously in his arms. The girls darted up to take them from him and set them on the floor, grinning at what they saw inside. Chickens! Well, chicks to be exact, but who cared?

"Thank you Hinata, and—oh! You must be the new student they told me about. Salina, wasn't it?"

"Yes, sir." She watched him as he crouched by the cages, mumbling quietly to the animated balls of fuzz inside. He couldn't be much older than they were, in his early twenties, most likely. But what was his name? She glanced at her arm, looking for her fifth class. Yakushi Kabuto….odd, it sounded familiar. She'd ask Kade when she went home. "Sensei, can I ask you how old you are?"

"You are rather smart, aren't you? I'll be twenty-two in a few months." He looked up and gave her a smile that made her blush and take a step back. She saw the amusement light up his eyes, and she crouched hurriedly to look in the other cage. Salina knew she was a flirt by nature, but this was something else. Maybe it was because he was so young, but still a teacher, forbidden grounds for her. Or maybe she was just being a silly high school girl, like so many she'd seen before and laughed at.

"So, sensei, w-what are the chicks for?" Hinata crouched between the two, giving her friend a what-exactly-was-that-about kind of look, before turning to the man beside them. Kabuto pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and reached into the cage, pulling out a small gray and white chick and setting it into Hinata's hands. The girls shared a grin and went back to their seats.

"He belongs to you two now. We're going to be raising them over the next month or so, and everyone will break into pairs and be responsible for cleaning, feeding, and so on. Pair off!" He turned to face his students, brushing strands of matte silver hair from his face. A few minutes later, he motioned a disgruntled figure up to the front of the room. "Hyuga, Okana, you have a third member now."

Salina tilted her head at the blush she saw creeping up the other girl's face and turned to look at the boy walking towards them. Heh heh…Eskimo coat. He grinned at them, and she noted how sharp his canines were, along with the red marks on his cheeks. "Hey, Hinata. You get any good classes this year?"

Pale lavender eyes met his and Salina saw a real smile light up the girl's face. "I like this one so far. Are you going to actually help on a project this time, Kiba?"

"Ha, you wish!" He ruffled Hinata's hair, laughing while she tried to fix it, and turned to the other girl. "So your name's Salina. What do you think of this place so far, eh?"

"Well, aside from the fact that I managed to sit on someone, and I'm still partially blind, yes I do. I wish my brother could be here too…." She smiled sadly at the little chick sleeping in her hands and began to stroke its back. Her brother would love the insanity of the place, and she wanted him to meet Kabuto-sensei. She just knew they'd get along like brothers.

"Well, why isn't here then? He dead or something? _Ow_!" He rubbed his head from the smack Hinata had given him. Girl could hit….

"Hush, you deserved that. You can be so _rude_ sometimes!"

Salina gave a valiant effort not to laugh, but they were beyond ridiculous, almost like…ah, of course. "Well, actually, our parents are. Kade works instead of going to school; he's only about two years older than me. Would you like to come with some others after school and meet him? He'll absolutely love you guys."

They answered together. "Sure, we don't have plans today."

"Well, isn't that just too perfect? Ooh, I know, let's call him Piyo!" She started packing her things away, and turning back to them, laughed her head off at their faces. "The chicken, you goofs. We'll call him Piyo."

The bell shrilled and they stood up, putting Piyo away and walking out the door. "Oof…oh sorry, Sensei." He laughed and Salina felt her face heat up as she hurried on to catch her friends. Hinata gave her a funny look.

"Why do you act so weird around Sensei anyway, Salina?"

She twirled a bit of hair around her finger. "I'm not sure…it seems like I know him from somewhere, but I don't know where it would be from. I didn't get out much where I come from, ya know? Small town, people didn't like me, all that kind of stuff." She smiled and turned to go down a hall, calling back over her shoulder to them. "Meet me out front after school!" They waved and she watched as their hands intertwined effortlessly, sending her to the day's final class with a huge dopey grin on her face.

**Finally, another chapter written! I've had absolutely no inspiration in months, and suddenly today it was like BAM! My fingers kicked into overdrive and out came this, on Christmas ^^ But…my internet is broken, so I won't be posting it on Christmas, that's for sure alright. To anyone still reading at all, thank you so much, and please please please review for me! I always love constructive criticism, being a pursuer of the arts and all~**


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